Pacific Delegations Press Fisheries Priorities at FAO Committee in Rome

Pacific Island countries and territories used the 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in Rome to call for stronger international support for regional fisheries systems, SPC said.

Pacific Island countries and territories called for stronger international recognition and support for Pacific-led fisheries strategies at the 37th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on Fisheries in Rome.

The session, known as COFI37, was held at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Pacific Community (SPC) said the region pressed for support for regional cooperation and for the needs of Small Island Developing States and Territories.

Representatives of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and SPC took part, along with members from the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Palau, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand representative Adam Berry chaired the meeting.

According to SPC, the region set out its record of regional cooperation, science-based fisheries management and monitoring and compliance systems, and argued that coordinated action can sustain tuna fisheries while delivering economic, social and food-security benefits.

FFA was awarded the Margarita Lizarraga Medal at the session in recognition of its contribution to sustainable fisheries management. SPC said the award reflected decades of collective effort across the FFA membership.

Pacific representatives also took part in high-level panels and side events, including a panel marking the 10th anniversary of the Port State Measures Agreement, and events on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, the World Trade Organisation, climate change and youth.

The region asked for international support to strengthen fisheries science, data, monitoring, compliance, enforcement, traceability and capacity development. SPC said support for small island states should be country-driven and delivered through existing regional institutions rather than duplicating them.

Climate change was raised as one of the most significant threats to Pacific fisheries and aquaculture, with changing tuna distributions and pressure on coastal fisheries posing risks to food security, livelihoods, government revenue and economic development.

Pacific representatives called for more financial and technical support for climate adaptation and mitigation, including better data and monitoring, resilient fisheries management and support for communities facing climate impacts.

The region also said new international commitments should complement existing regional and subregional arrangements, respect the mandates of regional fisheries management organisations and avoid adding reporting and compliance burdens for small administrations.

On illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, SPC said Pacific work on regional surveillance, electronic reporting and monitoring, information-sharing and electronic Port State Measures showed the value of collective approaches. The region sought continued support to strengthen those systems and national capacity.

The countries and territories at COFI37 said they would continue working through FFA, SPC and other partners on sustainable, climate-resilient fisheries.